Former India coach Harendra Singh pitted as frontrunner to succeed Janneke Schopman

Recent reports in the media suggest that Harendra Singh is likely to take over as the coach of the Indian women's hockey team. The position had fallen vacant following the exit of Janneke Schopman last month.

Harendra has been the coach of both the Indian men's and women's team in the past. He was appointed the coach of the women's team in 2017 and was later moved to the men's side the following year.

However, after India lost to the Netherlands in the quarterfinal of the 2018 World Cup in Bhubaneswar, the veteran coach left the team in January 2019. He then became the coach of the USA men's side in 2021.

News agency PTI (via Times of India) quoted a source in Hockey India revealing Harendra's position as the frontrunner for the role.

"Yes, Harendra is in line to replace Janneke. Hockey India is keen to appoint him. He knows the structure of Indian hockey, having coached both the men's and women's teams in the past. He is the best person to take the women's side to where it belongs," the anonymous source said.

"Moreover, it is in his best interest to have been out of the country for the past couple of years. The only issue which remains is negotiation of salary because he is drawing a handsome amount in the US, and it remains to be seen whether it can be matched," the person added.

Harendra Singh has already been interviewed by Hockey India. This much was confirmed by the association's secretary general Bhola Nath Singh to PTI.

"Yes, Harendra has appeared for the interview but nothing has been decided from our side yet," he told the news agency. There are 11-12 candidates and we will decide taking into account every aspect."

While Harendra might be seen as a steady hand on the wheel by Hockey India, his appointment may also seem like a step back. The opinion of the players, especially the captain, may be useful in making a decision on the final selection.

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Departure of Janneke Schopman from Indian women's team

The need for a new coach arose after Netherlands' Janneke Schopman resigned from the coach's position. Her parting of ways with Hockey India was rather acrimonious. The Dutch coach claimed that women were not given enough respect in the Indian setup and she didn't feel valued.

However, Schopman's record with the Indian team was mixed. While the side had modest success in multilateral events, it failed to qualify for the Olympics. Interestingly, the outgoing coach chose to speak up only after the Indian team registered a historic win over Australia in the FIH Pro League.

With her disparaging remarks leaving a sour taste, Hockey India seems keen to have an Indian coach on board. Whether it will be Harendra Singh remains to be seen.